|
may be, and the name of such slave or slaves, shall be inserted, and
the same shall be acknowledged before some justice of the peace of
the county where the sale shall be made, and lodged to be recorded
in the office of the clerk of the said county, within twenty days, and
the clerk shall immediately on the receipt thereof, actually record
the same, and deliver a copy thereof, on demand, to the purchaser,
with a certificate endorsed thereupon, under the seal of the county,
of the same being duly recorded, on receiving the legal fees for so
recording and authenticating the same.
5. And be it enacted, That if any person who shall so have pur-
chased any slave or slaves for exportation or removal from the
state of Maryland, shall have the same in any county within this
state, and information be lodged with any judge or justice of the
peace, supported by oath or affirmation, that the deponent or af-
firm ant has reasonable ground to believe that such person, who
shall so have such slave or slaves in his possession, is about to ex-
port and remove them from the state, contrary to law, it shall be
the duty of such judge or justice of the peace to proceed to the
house or place where such slaves may be, and such judge or justice
is hereby empowered and required to enter into any such house or
place where such slave or slaves may be, and to demand of the
person or persons in whose custody the said slave or slaves may
be, an inspection and examination of said slave or slaves, and al-
so of the bills of sale for them respectively, and if upon such de-
mand and examination no bill or bills of sale are produced for
either or any such slave or slaves, or if the bills of sale produced
shall not have been executed, acknowledged and recorded, agree-
ably to the provisions herein contained, that, the description of any
such slave or slaves shall be, in the judgment of such judge or jus-
tice of the peace, false or fraudulent, then it shall be the duty of
such judge or justice of the peace to cause such slave or slaves, for
whom no bill of sale is produced, or for whom a false or fraudulent
bill of sale is produced, to go before some judge or justice of the
peace of the county aforesaid, and the person or persons who has
or have said slave or slaves in possession shall also appear and
enter into a recognizance before the same judge, or justice of the
peace, with two sufficient securities in the sum of one thousand dol-
lars, for every such servant or slave in his, her, or their possession,
without bills of sale as is herein provided for, to appear at the next
county court to answer to the petition of said slave or slaves; and if
such judge or justice shall have reason to suspect that such slave
or slaves have been stolen by such person or persons, or received
by them knowing them to be stolen, or that they had knowingly
aided therein, in such cases the recognizance shall provide for their
answering such offence; and if such person or persons, so having
such slave or slaves, shall refuse or neglect to enter into such re-
cognizance, then such judge or justice of the peace shall commit
said person or persons, and such slave or slaves, to the gaol of the
county; and the said judge or justice of the peace shall make re-
turn of said commitment to the county court, or Baltimore city
court if then in session, and if not in session then to the next term
of said courts respectively; or if such person, having entered into
such recognizance, shall refuse to appear agreeably thereto, or if
having appeared it shall appear that such slave or slaves is or are
|
Dec. Ses. 1817.
Persons so
purchasing, on
information to
enter into re-
cognizance.
|
